I was meeting with a lovely bride this week who gave me what Oprah would call an “Aha” moment. Like any bride, she’s excited and looking forward to all the special things her Big Day will bring. I asked her if she had her dress yet and her face lit up, her resounding “yes” filling my office. This is something I love to see, but it was followed by a somewhat troubling story. The search for her perfect dress was something of an ordeal, not because she’s picky, but because she simply couldn’t find any options. She had been to many, many boutiques and wasn’t able to get most of the rack samples over her hips. Now, let me preface this by saying that this bride is pretty darned average-size. One afternoon after hitting a circuit of dress shops, she burst into tears and was at the end of her…well, dress. That’s when her sister-in-law took her to a very special place where she obtained the aforementioned perfect dress. If you’re looking for a wedding gown and you aren’t a size 0, 2, 4 or 6….check out Curvaceous Couture in Columbia, MD. Loaded with tons of dresses to choose from and including all the major labels (Enzoani, Pronovias, Reem Acra, etc.) and boasting sample sizes for regular sized women and up, you’ll find yourself feeling so great that the only tears will be on your mother’s face when you put on that perfect dress for the first time! At first glance, you won’t think you’re in the right place – it’s in an industrial park. But beyond the facade, everything inside is warm, welcoming and dreamy. Happy shopping!
Category: Editorial Column: Musings on Weddings & Film
Say Yes to an Eco-Dress! Video editorial of Chris Kole’s new Fireflies collection for The Cotton Bride.
If you’re into dresses, fashion or anything Green, this is something you won’t want to miss! Check out the newest organic gowns, as shown at Eco-Beautiful Weddings magazine’s anniversary party in DC a few weeks ago. I used my point-and-shoot camera in video mode, so please don’t judge the video quality as representative of one of our wedding films. 🙂 If it’s not playing for you, click on the HD icon in the upper right of the video. For more about Chris Kole’s collection, click here.
[wpvideo kCUo9iVj]
Music for Processionals & Recessionals
Now that Dolce has filmed over a thousand weddings, I feel like I’m qualified to talk on wedding-related topics with some degree of authority. The truth is, no matter how unique you’re hoping your wedding will be, there’s some constancy from one wedding to the next and we can graciously chalk that up to tradition. Being a nostalgic kind of person, I love tradition! But it’s also fun to be creative and to update tradition. Along those lines, I have something to say about music for processionals and recessionals. How about, instead of the ole’ standby (string quartet), you try out an acoustic guitar? Check out this demo video to see if it strikes a chord with you:
[wpvideo YkucE9UU]
Music by Olivera’s. Guitarist Brian Litz is playing the Allegro Maestoso from Handel’s Water Music orchestral suite.
A Dolce Real Wedding: Behind-the-Scenes for Marry Me Group’s Free Wedding Giveaway / Part 1 of 2
Samantha & Jason were married the last weekend of August and the circumstances of their wedding day may have seemed quite regular on the surface: a beautiful setting, a happy couple, happy guests on the lawn and the sparkle that each wedding embodies. But what will always set Samantha & Jason’s wedding apart from the majority of weddings is that they won their wedding. Yep, you read that right! Samantha & Jason won a free wedding through Marry Me Group, and EVERYTHING was free. We were thrilled to participate by capturing their memories on film. We thought it would be fun to show you the behind-the-scenes footage of just what it takes to put on a wedding. You’ll see people sweating and out of breath, working with single-minded focus and determination….and we all do this every weekend! Participating vendors are listed below. Enjoy this fun little video and keep your eyes peeled for a highlight of the wedding itself, coming soon…
[wpvideo G73chQxU]
The Posh Planner, Stephanie Ascari Photography, Taylor Made Cakes, Stonewall Golf Club, Kenna’s Cookies, Olivera Music Entertainment, Holly Chapple Flowers, My Mobile Salon, Paperzest, Capitol Chocolate Fountains, Capital Party Rentals, Reston Limousine, Acuity Audiovisual, Richard Kirk and Dolce Studio Films
A Dream Realized
You’d think with the title “A Dream Realized” featured in a blog written by a wedding videographer, I’d more likely than not be talking about a wedding. For many couples, this special day is a dream realized. But the dream I wish to reflect on today is different in nature; it’s about a personal goal being realized, a chapter in life accentuated by a significant moment. So now I pin my heart to my sleeve.
I have a childhood memory of sitting on the floor near the foot of my bed and looking at a magazine featuring stories about women in business. The magazine was touting the women featured as role models for striving towards one’s dreams. I clearly remember thinking, “I want to be featured like this when I grow up.” I wasn’t yet thirteen, yet I knew then that I would want to own my own business someday and be recognized as ‘accomplished’. When I finally started my own business, some 17 years later, I remembered this moment and was motivated by it. I knew that I was doing something different from the mainstream. Many friends and loved ones worried. What would I do without health insurance? (I bought some). What would I do without benefits? (I invested). What would I do without someone telling me what to do? (Tell others what to do). Somehow, our society isn’t necessarily geared towards self-employment as a rational pursuit leading to a stable life. Continue reading “A Dream Realized”
A Terri Eaves Wedding Bash at NMWA – Maya & Steve
Last weekend we had the privilege of shooting a Terri Eaves wedding; she owns and runs Bash, a divine planning company that puts together gorgeous events. Her couple, Maya & Steve, are such a sweet couple and have been a pleasure to work with. Better yet, we captured their sweet life – big time – because there seemed to be an endless succession of Dolce Vita (Sweet Life) moments. Photographer Michael Connor captured many of them as stills and shared some of his images with us this morning. While Maya & Steve’s video is in post-production here, I hope you enjoy seeing a glimpse of their dolce day, compliments of Connor Studios. To see Michael’s blog post about this event, click here.
Thanks to all the wonderful vendors who contributed to this beautiful day! They include: Bash, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Main Event Caterers, Phillippa Tarrant Floral Design, Capital Decor & Events, John Farr Lighting, Da Vinci Strings,Prelude, Dolce Studio Films, Connor Studios.
The Best Things in Life Are Free – ‘Tip’ to Reduce Wedding Day Stress
The best things in life are free, but you can leave it to the birds and the bees…I want money,” so goes the song many of us remember and it came to mind this morning when a lovely coordinator we work with – Kelley Cannon – emailed to ask about tips. She wanted to know if it’s standard for couples to tip their videographers, and if so, what is the appropriate amount? Here’s what I had to tell her.
Honestly, we rarely receive tips and we don’t expect them. When we are tipped, it’s typically between $50 – $150 per shooter (and we do a happy dance in the parking lot on our way home). The best ‘tip’ for those couples who’d rather not tip us: provide a hot meal and a parking spot.
After shooting with our hearts and souls to capture the emotions and moments of the day and to ensure the family can revisit every significant moment in their video, it sucks to eat a BLT made the day before served alongside a stale cookie. It’s not always quite so bad, but it has been on occasion and those meals stick out in our minds like a walk down a pirate’s plank. A hot dinner or a divine vendor meal can really rejuvenate a shooter and have them feeling ready to take on the last part of the shoot with renewed vigor! And a parking spot can really take the edge off when shooting in a one-take environment.
Not having valet parking or an assigned spot can be a huge stress on any vendor. There’s no worse feeling than driving around the block searching for an on street spot or garage when you know the bride is inside putting her dress on or the processional is lining up. Yikes! While we do arrive early, if there isn’t a spot available for us, cruising the neighborhood is all we can do (I did have a shooter park illegally, halfway on the sidewalk outside a Cathedral in DC once, and they weren’t even ticketed, but that’s another story!). Spending $10-$20 on parking to ensure your cameras are actually filming and not driving around is a great investment.
The reality is, the meal and the parking spot guarantee that you get as much time in front of that camera as we can possibly provide. Months after, when you’re sitting on the sofa watching your wedding video for the first time, you’ll be thrilled to see all that was captured without you being aware of us. But you’d be really upset if your dad’s impromptu toast was missing because your shooter was out grabbing a burger or feeding the meter. If you can avoid this (and we know that sometimes you can’t), then it’s the best tip we can get!
If you’re looking for more tips on ‘tips’, ask Kelley for a copy of her “Wedding Gratuities Guide” here.
For more tips on how to reduce stress on your wedding day, check out our Less Stress series: Category “How to Reduce Stress on Your Wedding Day”
What Makes a Video Tacky?
When I first started filming weddings in 2003, my vision was to capture timelessly elegant footage that would stand the test of time. I remember looking at the videos available to couples and finding them so cheesy. So many of them embodied multiple elements I found off-putting; tacky transitions, trendy effects and dated music. What’s sadder still? The current video market remains saturated with just as many bad videos!
The most obvious of the shoddy video options is what I refer to as “tacky transitions.” Tacky transitions include dissolves and effects thrown in to a video to make it seem ‘edited’; cartoon hearts and stars, bubble letters, page peels, glow effects and so on. This is the lowest rung of the video ladder with prices at their cheapest. But like momma said, “you get what you pay for”.
Then there’s the half-edited video. It’s sold as an edited video to unsuspecting couples, but read the fine print or wait until you get it in the mail and you find it’s barely edited. Here you have glorified raw footage, slapped down on the editor’s timeline, a song or two thrown on top, names at the beginning and end and maybe even a Highlight montage. The editor can throw this together in a day and charges rates comparable or just under those being charged by others actually editing a piece from start to finish. Once you get your video, you realize that what you thought you were buying was not what you actually bought. As momma said, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
A video has to be a comprehensive whole. If it’s edited from start to finish and carefully worked on by a filmmaker, you should have a piece that doesn’t lag, drag or sag! The chapter formats vary (as soon as the viewer’s eyes start to glaze over, the next chapter should begin and be delivered in a different format), the live footage is filmed well and has great audio. The cocktail, behind-the-scenes details and dancing are fully edited too. Plus, you want to have excellent coverage of speeches, toasts and special dances. Included in the roster of effects you may see those limited to the Silver Screen; black and white, sepia, 24p film footage, 16mm film footage, some shots slowed down or sped up, cross dissolves, fade in – fade out dissolves and jump cuts. The effects should be expertly applied so that they blend in, not stick out like a sore thumb. Lastly, the more timeless the music, the less dated your film will be years from now.
So, as you shop around, how do you know what you’re getting? The fact of the matter is, if you really want to know what you’re going to get you have to ask to see samples of full length finished films. Anyone can piece together gorgeous samples for the web, but as momma said, “the proof is in the pudding” (this is one annoying momma!). When you watch the finished films that videographers have actually delivered to their clients, you’ll best be able to see what you’re likely to get too.
Holiday Weddings
This time of year, when love and peace are being celebrated, seems such a fitting time of year to attend a wedding. I know it’s hard to imagine adding yet another social event to an already packed holiday schedule, but if you can swing it, there’s something especially romantic and life-affirming about love and marriage in the snow and cold.
We’ve filmed two weddings this week and it’s been a real treat. I’ll try to post a video sample soon so you can see what we’ve been up to. In the meantime, here’s a little Holiday Wedding cheer from an event a few seasons past. Happy holidays!
[wpvideo NPgSRGfi]
Rainy Day Weddings: Why Your Video Won’t be Ruined
Originally posted Sept 9, 2009
I’m looking out my window on a gloomy Wednesday morning in September and the high summer days of a few weeks ago seem to have ended as abruptly as my glorious beach vacation. Cue a somber grey world and another workday. Happily, events are in full swing. This upcoming weekend is our busiest of 2009 and I spent yesterday phoning all our brides, emailing with coordinators and prepping the shoot teams. I also spent quite a lot of time yesterday telling brides that rain won’t ruin a wedding day.
Not something anyone working in special events wants to be saying to their clients in the days preceding their very big, very public, very expensive event. I never deign to say, “it’s good luck to have rain on your wedding day,” but I can honestly report, rain will not ruin your wedding video. And here’s why.
Rain brings with it an element of romance. Think Paris, misty streets and love under an umbrella. Think of huddling under an awning with your lover’s arms wrapped around you. Think of crackling fires and whispered declarations of love. Rain has a way of relaxing the masses. Its maternal voice hums a soft lullaby and creates a natural din one can fold oneself into. We have captured some spectacular footage over the years of brides under umbrellas, puddles looping outwards in raindrop symphony, and guests peering out windows and enjoying a moment with what seems a solitary world outdoors. True, an outdoor ceremony moved indoors may not be as gorgeous on film as the original garden might have been, but other beautiful shots will find their way into the piece, compliments of rain.
If you don’t believe me, check out this gorgeous wedding we filmed last year on a rainy day:
[wpvideo r2pgETSP]
And if that clip didn’t convince you, maybe this will. On my own wedding day the forecast was for thunderstorms. Everything was scheduled to be outside; the ceremony, photos, tented reception…the whole shebang! It turned out to be hotter than Hades and the air was as thick as pea soup, but it never rained a drop.